1. Ecology

2. ECOLOGY - the study of interactions among organisms with each other and with environment BIOSPHERE - portion of planet where life exists

3. LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION Organism – individual animal or plant in an area Species - individuals that can breed with one another Population - all the individuals of the same species (ducks) in an area

4. A population is always composed of same-species organisms

5. Community - all the populations that live together in an area

6. Ecosystem - the community plus the physical factors in an area (rain, light, soil..)
Examples:
Rotting Log
Koi Pond
Lake
Clump of Dirt
A field
An old maple tree

7. List as 3 living things you may in the ecosystem illustrated.
Seagull, fish, crawfish, seal, seaweed, fungus
These “living things” are called biotic factors.
List 3 non-living things you may find in the ecosystem illustrated.
Rocks, water, air, sunlight, soil
These “non-living things” are called abiotic factors.

8. List the levels of an ecosystem from least inclusive (top) to most inclusive (bottom) and provide examples of each.
Organism
Species
Population
Community
Ecosystem

9. Habitat - the place in which an organism lives
provides the kinds
of food and shelter,
the temperature,
and the amount of
moisture the
organism needs to
survive

10. Niche - The specific role that an organism plays in its ecosystem

11. What is the difference between a habitat and a niche?
The place where an organism lives its habitat.
How an organism survives is its niche.
A habitat is an organisms address. A niche is an organisms job.

12. Biome - large area that has a particular climate, and particular species of plants and animals that live there (example - tundra)

13. Biosphere - the part of the earth that supports life

14. Chemosynthesis - makes food from chemicals (some bacteria synthesize food in this way)
Some bacteria live in deep ocean vents (openings in the ocean floor), and make their food from chemicals in those vents

15. Types of Consumers What They Eat Levels of Consumers
Energy Flow in an Ecosystem Food webs - illustrate the flow of energy in an ecosystem Producers - capture energy from environment and convert it into "food” (autotrophs) Consumers - must eat things (heterotrophs)
Types of Consumers
What They Eat
Levels of Consumers
Herbivores
Vegetation
Primary
Carnivores
Meat
Secondary and Tertiary
Omnivores
Veggies and Meat
Secondary or Tertiary
Decomposers
Dead organisms

16. Identify and List: Primary Consumers grasshopper, rat, rabbit, squirrel Secondary Consumers rat, frog, fox, snake Tertiary Consumers owl, snake Find the Omnivore. rat

17. Relationships in an Ecosystem
Suppose you buy a house. A friend moves in and helps pay your mortgage, bills, and groceries.
Who benefits from this relationship:
you and friend
Who is harmed from this relationship:
no one
This relationship is called
mutualism
You live in an apartment complex and must drive your car to work everyday. A co-worker lives in the same complex and carpools with you but does not help pay for gas.
friend
commensalism
You have a friend who constantly asks you to borrow a pencil (and forgets to return it), borrows notebook paper, and never returns the favor.
you
parasitism
In all 3 circumstances, do the people involved have a relationship with each other?
yes
This is called
symbiosis

18. A close relationship between two organisms
Based on the previous questions, write your own definitions for the relationships in an ecosystem…
Symbiosis:
A close relationship between two organisms
Mutualism:
Relationship where both benefit and no one is harmed
Commensalism:
Relationship where one benefits and the other neither benefits nor is harmed
Parasitism:
Relationship where one benefits and the other is harmed

19. Biogeochemical Cycles = biology + geology + chemical
Matter is not used up, it is transformed, the same molecules are passed around (Conservation of Matter)
Graphics
 Carbon Cycle
Water Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle

20. Use this illustration for your homework since the copy is very light and hard to see! 